[TR24][OF] Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby (Live) - 1961/2011 (Jazz)

Waltz for Debby is an album by American jazz pianist Bill Evans and his Trio consisting of Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian, originally released in 1961.

This was Bill Evans' first trio. The album was the fourth and final effort from the unit. Scott LaFaro died in a car accident just ten days after the live date at the Village Vanguard from which Waltz for Debby and its predecessor, Sunday at the Village Vanguard were taken. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. When Evans returned to the trio format later in 1962, it was with Motian and noted bassist Chuck Israels.

The title track, a musical portrait of Evans' niece, became a staple of his live repertoire in later years. It originally appeared as a solo piano piece on Evans' debut album, New Jazz Conceptions. It remains what is likely Evans' most well-known song, one that he would play throughout his career.

Reception

This album is widely considered to be one of the best in the Evans canon, and the type of emotive interplay between the musicians that at some points seemed almost deconstructed has served as a model for piano trio play.

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Thom Jurek wrote of the album: "While the Sunday at the Village Vanguard album focused on material where LaFaro soloed prominently, this is far more a portrait of the trio on those dates... Of the many recordings Evans issued, the two Vanguard dates and Explorations are the ultimate expressions of his legendary trio." Samuel Chell of All About Jazz wrote "Along with Bassist wunderkind Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, Evans perfected his democratic vision of trio cooperation, where all members performed with perfect empathy and telepathy... It is these performances, currently available as Sunday at The Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby that comprise the number one best jazz live recording in this present series."

Allmusic 5/5 stars
Penguin Guide to Jazz 5/5 stars

An HDtracks exclusive presentation:
The 192/24 remastering of Bill Evans' Waltz For Debby

*Remastered by Paul Stubblebine using the Keith Johnson-designed Pacific Microsonics converter

"These files are transferred from the original analog master tapes exclusively, not from safety copies or production dubs. The transfers are made in a facility dedicated to getting the most quality possible from these masters, and preserving all of the information in the files so that it's available to the listener. I'm an experienced mastering engineer, but I've also been an audiophile myself for decades. Because of my background in the audiophile world I am sensitive to the qualities of sound that an audiophile values, more so than many engineers in the pro recording world.

"In our decades-long study of the factors which are responsible for sound quality, my colleagues and I have found a number of key areas which must be addressed. First, it is critical to recover as much information as possible from the tapes, since detail lost at any stage can never be restored at a later stage. We use only top quality tape transports (highly tweaked Ampex ATR-100's and Studer A80's) matched with custom playback electronics from ATR Service or Tim de Paravicini. The playback electronics that came with these decks years ago just don't compare to the audiophile grade electronics we've all gotten accustomed to in our systems. The custom electronics that we use recover much more musically meaningful detail, more spatial cues, and more texture and three-dimensionality than the stock electronics.

"Decisions about any potential rebalancing or sonic restoration are made in acoustically treated rooms equipped with highest-quality audiophile playback systems. Any circuitry in the signal path, as well as cabling and AC power, are chosen for sonic performance. At the crucial step of analog to digital conversion, we have chosen the Pacific Microsonics Model Two ( designed by the legendary Kieth Johnson of Reference Recordings fame ). As important as all this is, there are two even more important parts of the puzzle: first, the experience and judgment of the mastering engineer in deciding when to adjust something and when to leave things alone. Second, our commitment to work as hard as necessary, and to avoid any shortcuts which might compromise quality.

"For instance, when both a 96K file and a 192K file are called for, it would be faster and more efficient to transfer it once, at 192K, and use a file conversion utility to convert it down for the 96K file. The file conversion programs are pretty good these days. Are they 100% as good as a direct transfer? This is a question we lose no sleep over. We take the extra care; we wind the tape back to the beginning, reset the capture system to 96K, and transfer it again. It's more work, but the result is something we can stand behind unequivocally. This commitment to do whatever it takes to get you the highest quality listening experience is at the heart of the Stubb-U-Sonic(™) principles."

-Paul Stubblebine, remastering engineer

Reviews

A truly landmark jazz recording, 1961’s Waltz for Debbie redefined the possibilities of the piano trio. Scott LaFaro’s ultra-melodic bass-work, Paul Motian’s fluid drumming, Evans’ virtuosic, impressionistic playing and the trio’s nearly telepathic interplay set a standard that has yet to be exceeded. This hi-res remastering adds new depth and warmth to an already essential audiophile live set.